I was heartbroken all day. Ruin and disappointment pervaded my countenance, and while on my way home I wailed bitterly. I thought about what would become of us, especially my mother who was slowly dying of a mysterious ailment. I barely could say what mother was suffering from because we barely could feed well let alone afford to take her to the hospital.

The previous day we struggled to earn a square meal and I could recall promising mother that today would be better. I wondered if mother perceived the falsity of my promise because of our poverty. She had never believed life could get better for us. She only had consolation in her reverie.

After promising to buy good food for her with the proceeds from our vegetable, she had only responded in tears and kept staring at the ceiling while she lay in her sick bed.

And today being the day I promised her at least, two square meals, that billionaire’s mad son ate all my raw vegetable and left us to die of hunger.

“What nonsense billionaire’s mad son is that?” I wailed in my head, while trudging home.

Why would they leave him hungry to feast on people’s means of livelihood, people like me?

Now he was probably being fed with the best of delicacy while mom and I were left to die.

I couldn’t continue walking home. I dashed on the ground. My life was devoid of any form of motivation to make it home.

I wasn’t mettlesome at all. My feet had lost verve and I couldn’t lift myself anymore.

What would I tell my mother now? Would I tell her that even yesterday was better off? If I tell her would she believe the grisly news? Would she believe that a disgruntled billionaire’s mad son rendered our vegetable business useless and ineffective?

Certainly mother would lay curse upon me and gnash her teeth in disappointment over my carelessness. Although mother was sick yet she knew how to flog offenders with her mouth.

My throat was tinder-dry. Neither water nor food had crossed it. I was dying of hunger too. If mother didn’t die before me, I would.

“Please sir, I need some money from you,” I sounded respectively. “I just lost my entire vegetable to the billionaire’s mad son,” I wailed coldly.

That was the only option I was left with; else at dawn Rio Hondo would bury mother and daughter. As hunger churned my stomach, I believed same was happening to mother.

The haggard-looking young man swirled around, gave me a remarkable smirk and drifted to me.

Innocently, I stood, wondering the type of food I would buy for mom, because this young man was about being generous. My eyes gleamed and they were sparked with joy; you know the joy that beclouded you when a giver approached you with his hand fondling into his pocket.

Beclouded by my misery and thought, I didn’t know when the haggard-looking man touched my breasts and squeezed them.

A slap!

“You must be stupid!” I barked and covered my bust with my nervous hands.

The ugly-looking offender was all smiles. “Do you want my money?” he queried and dug out a wad of dollars, “We can tuck away at the dark corner of the street for a quickie. Prostitute!” he cursed, laughed tauntingly and walked away.

I held my face in total frustration and fell on the ground to weep for my horrible fate and impending storm.

I was wailing right about then when a note struck my sight. I quietened, wiped my tears and peered at it for yet another time.

It was a one dollar note, when I picked it.

“Oh my God!” I exclaimed and cautioned myself with my palms on my mouth to tune down my voice. “Wow!”

My nerves opened for excitement. That quickie-demanding young man must have been careless over his money that he didn’t notice it fall off.

I let a breath of relief, squeezed the dollar, into my hold and scuttled to the grocery store to buy a decent food for my mother and me.

My lips curved and I simpered from cheek to cheek. Excitement hung over me until I got home.

“Mother! Mother!” I chanted fervently, “We are going to eat a decent meal after a long while!” I sounded at the tops of my voice unaware of the tragedy that had befallen my mother.

When I got to her inner chamber she wasn’t in her sick bed. She had fallen to the ground and in her pool of blood now.

“Mother! Mother! What happened! What happened to you, mother?”

I shook her heavily and noticed she had no sign of life when I felt her pulse.

With the help of our neighbor, we rushed her to the hospital. All night at the hospital I lay by her side, and prayed for sustainable life.

At dawn, the doctor invited me to his office and brought it officially to my notice.

“Your mother is suffering from autosomal dominant polycystic,”

My lower lip trembled at the mention of that disease. I didn’t know what the disease was but from its annoying name, I could tell mother was ill-fated.

The doctor explained further once he saw the color drain from my face. “It is a kidney disease and having lingered, it is right now at the terminal stage. Half a million dollars is needed for her treatment and if nothing happens in twenty four hours, I am afraid we may lose her.” the doctor’s voice beamed within me.

Those words of the doctor still sounded in my head, with the ting effect of a bell sounding at the cathedral even after I had dashed out to go in search of the money, which we didn’t have.

Later, while swallowed in my misery and gloom, a young beautiful nurse by name, Stella told me of one billionaire by name Fanny Luis, who was worth fifty billion dollars and the richest family in Rio Hondo.

“Listen Melissa,” Nurse Stella had said “If you could get to the billionaire he would certainly be of help,” she told me emphatically. “He is very generous. I can count quite a number of Rio Hondos he has helped.”

Later at twilight she took me to this huge edifice, a villa with plasters of gold and precious stones. It was situated on the Island of Rio Hondo. No other inhabitant could be found anywhere around the Island except this magnificent mansion.

“Over there is where billionaire Fanny Luis lives. You just have to try your luck. I believe he would be of help. He certainly will.” Her jaw clenched.

I was all tears and jittering without any eagerness to move. I pouted.

“Go Melissa. Your mother must not die of the kidney disease! Autosomal is a kidney disease nobody should toil with. Go and hug your good fate.”

That was the last words of the nurse as I swirled to take a bold step.

When I advanced to the villa, I noticed my feet couldn’t carry me further. The splendor that hung across the mansion overwhelmed me so much that I deemed myself not worthy to be found anywhere around it; not even its flowers and ornamental trees which looked healthier than me.

I quickly distinguished myself from smearing the expensive environment with my poverty countenance.

Expectedly I came to a halt once I caught sight of uniformed band of security men, all well-suited with strong facial features, who asked me a thousand questions with their hostile faces and hefty chests.

My entire body vibrated as I folded my arms in anticipation of what they intended to do now they surged close to me.

One of them stared at me from head to toe, and must have perceived the wretchedness that encompassed around me; I perceived they were bored of seeing the scraggly faces of the poor hounding the villa all in the name of sourcing for the billionaire’s help.

Noticing one of the securities prancing towards my direction, my nose wrinkled before I came to a halt, lowered my gaze and pressed my trembling hands in front of me.

“Who the hell are you? Did you miss your way?” he queried and his face scowled irritatingly at me before his jaw clenched.

I believed my scraggly auburn hair, dried scaly feet, and torn off-the-shoulders dress must have turned him off. I couldn’t have looked better than that.

Thankful enough he wasn’t much close to me, my body odor would have taught him a lesson, after repelling him.

I bowed my head, fondled with my finger in shame and was mysteriously dumbfounded and bewildered.

“Speak, you dirty looking thing!” another barked at me like a mad dog, almost at the tops of his voice. He gave me a dirty look and almost forced words out of my mouth with those dark, brooding eyes of his that flashed at me.

I had flinched, and trembled under his groaning and about returning to my sick mother. Having contemplated inwardly that this was a lost course and not able to convince them with my timidity to see reasons I was at the villa, I turned to take my leave.

While trudging away under the heaviness of my burden I heard a still voice.

“Hold on, young girl!”

That was the next command that pierced into my heart. All eyes came upon Opula as she cat walked down the staircase looking dashing and charismatic in her customized Italian gown, with piles of diamond bracelet round her neck and wrists. Flamboyance hung over her. Her hair was golden brown and long to her slender neck. She was towering and curvaceous; exactly like that of kiss-it models I often saw on billboards in Rio Rondo. A party of maidens flanked around her

Her presence alone courted respect and affluence as I noticed the security bow to her.

She stood, gawked at me from head to toe and shook her head in confirmation.

“Take this young girl to the chambers. Make her look beautiful and presentable before my father now,” she commanded the host of maidens that accompanied her.

“What is happening? What did she just say? Just like that! Did anybody tell her of my visit or what?” I queried inwardly.

What could be happening to me?

Those words of hers seared my countenance that I thought I had committed a sacrilege by bringing my scruffy, wretched looking self to the home of the richest billionaire in Rio Hondo.

But my thought was disappointed. The maidens advanced to me with smiling faces and decorum.

Salsa, who happened to be the chief maiden directed me and led me away into the same villa. I was still lost. I wanted to ask the reason everyone was genuflecting and greeting me as I made into my chamber.

They made sure every of Opula’s words was carried out to the latter.

Not only was I given a warm bath, they took their ample time to decorate me and adorn me in an exquisite Turkish grown that I might never afford in my time or in my generation yet to come.

“Please, what is happening? Why are you doing all this to me? I am not supposed to be here in the first place, let alone being handled as a princess.” I nagged with caution while they invested their time to wear off the poverty on my body.

Nobody gave an answer. All they did was smile and keep to their duty.

I wanted to protest yet further but their smiles made me look stupid. I was radically beautiful as well, when I appeared before the mirror.

I was led away into the largest, most decorated mainstream sitting room I have never seen.

Everything that hovered around my eyes was gold and diamond. I perceived I was in the major sitting room.

In less than few minutes, a handsome, white-bearded, luxuriously dressed man in his late forties walked in being flanked about by gorgeous looking ladies including Opula.

I perceived the man was Fanny Luis and the ladies were his daughters.

All the maidens and security genuflected and greeted them duly.

I bowed my face in shyness and lost in what was about to take place.

“Isn’t she beautiful father?” Opula queried and turned her gaze to the man.

It was then I knew I was standing before the famous billionaire in Rio Hondo, Fanny Luis himself.

I stood star-struck, frozen within myself as he walked around and admired me, inspecting me from head to toes and nodding gratefully.

“She is superbly beautiful for your brother. Where did you find this damsel, daughter?” Fanny groaned smiling cheek to cheek.

Opula smiled hugely, “I told you never to worry that I would find the perfect wife for Brian.”

At the mention of that I raised my head, dragged a furrowed brow across my face and scowled.

Wife? What are they saying? And who is Brian? Am I about to be arranged as wife to someone? And come to think of it, so all that happened to me was coming from a prior preparation to betroth me to someone. What is happening and who is this Brian?

I wondered within me, and smacked my lips nervously…

Fanny shook his head in the affirmative and became all smiles. His eyes sparkled.

“You are welcome to my humble family, my adorable sister-in-law,” Kate intoned, with a lop-sided grin.

Kate was the second eldest daughter of the Fanny’s. She was chubby, short and with pink cheeks that often smiled. Her hair was auburn. She kept smiling and shaking her head just like every other person except Eva.

Her nostrils flared,“Who is she? And who is her family in Rio Hondo?” Eva asked, gritted her teeth, shot her go-to-hell stare at me and walked around me as though I was some laboratory specimen.

“No, no, Eva”, Opula, the eldest protested with her hand gesturing at Eva, she protested yet further, “You don’t have to raise up that issue right now. I have not invited this pretty girl to be assessed by you.”

Eva raised a brow and squeezed her lips; that face of hers held thunder as she cast a menacing stare at her sister and then at me.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Eva queried Opula “You can’t choose this dirty, poverty-stricken girl for our brother!”

Opula stood to her feet with hands on the waist. She had already gone crimson. She kept rolling her eyes and sighing.

Opula snarled, “And since when did my egocentric sister become interested in the family’s affair, uh? You never wanted a wife for Brian! Possibly you enjoyed the way he is being attended to by nobody and goes the whole of Rio Hondo naked and being mobbed!” Opula barked radically.

Every other person became on looker as they quarreled at the tops of their voice.

Her nose wrinkled. “I have better plans for my brother not this,” she gestured her fingers at me, “Poverty-stricken, disgusting girl. We are the richest family in Rio Hondo. Poverty and wealth have nothing in common. Do I need to remind you, sister uh? I thought you were going to fetch a model, a movie super star or a musician for our brother. Come on think big.”

Opula interjected in fury, “She may be poor but she is very presentable than the ugly wealthy bitches you presented earlier…” She wanted to speak yet further when Fanny intervened, “Enough!”

Everywhere went cold at once at the groaning of his voice, “Is this how you girls want to welcome our new wife?” Fanny barked, and cast an appreciative stare at me.

My head bowed just then as I averted my gaze.

Wife? What is happening? Have they made me a wife already?

A wife to who if I may ask? I came here to see if I could borrow the money needed for my mother’s hospital bills and here I am donning diamond bracelets and jewelries, clad in a Turkish luxurious gown which I may never afford in my entire life.

As I looked myself from head to toes, I wondered if I could summon the courage to question their actions, and why am I being given as wife to a man I know nothing about and wasn’t in love with.

Something must be fishy. Are they mistaking me for someone else?

“I am confused please” it almost sounded as a whisper but by some reckless courage it sounded loud enough for everyone to hear.

Fanny smiled at me, and then stood to his feet. His face flushed with uncertainty.

“You see, my dear, for more than four nights now, my family has been in search of the rightful bride for my lovely son. I don’t know how my eldest daughter found you, but I must commend you look presentable and beautiful for my son. If you agree this minute to become the wife to the only son of the richest man in Rio Hondo, I promise you your poverty is over. You will have anything that is under the sun. You can be rest assured that hence forth your generation shall know no poverty,” he said and burst into a radical laugh.

Every other person smiled except Eva who was busy fighting me with her quarrelsome stare.

But Eva wasn’t my problem now. My problem was how it all happened suddenly. I had come to borrow the half a million dollars needed to commence treatment on my mother and not to be given as wife to any son.

I was losing it now. These billionaires could be so annoying. They felt everything was answerable to them and because they were wealth and influential nothing was impossible for them to achieve.

Come on! Things are not done that way! How could you just see someone at the gate, and the next you get her all expensively dressed, just to be given as wife to your only son? A son I knew nothing about?

I protested, “Sir, I am here to see if you could lend me money for my mother’s medical bills. My mother has auto…auto,” I stuttered as I couldn’t recall the name of the disease doctor called but I just managed to say, “She has kidney disease and the doctor is requesting for half a million dollars to save her life. She has just twenty four hours to live if that money is not provide,” I intoned, went down on my knees, and bowed my head, “Please, my mother is all I have. Heave mercy on a poor girl like me. That is my reason for coming to your mansion and not to marry your son.”

Fanny’s face held a huge grin. His jaw clenched. I knew he might be wondering what gave me the guts to visit his mansion in the name of borrowing money. I was young and naïve. I wondered what could be more important to me than my mother’s health. Marrying his son or whoever was out of it.

He pointed, “You see that artifact over there, it is worth twenty million dollars. Do you see that artwork with diamond stones? It is worth thirty million dollars. Money is not my problem.”

He dug his hand into his blazers and slid out a credit card…